Conservative businessman Rich Pezzullo announced last night that he will seek the GOP nomination to challenge Congressman Frank Pallone in the 6th Congressional District of New Jersey (parts of Monmouth and Middlesex counties).

Pezzullo declared his candidacy at the Middlesex County Republican Women’s Club’s annual Reagan Day celebration.

“We can no longer allow enemies of American progress like Frank Pallone to represent us when he and others like him are spending every day trying to hold our nation back. I am challenging him because I believe that the Sixth District deserves so much better — a representative they can rely on, that they can be proud of,” Pezzullo told the gathering. “Pallone was elected to Congress 30 years ago and has not accomplished anything. He is too far left even for his own rabidly leftist party. Isn’t it time for a Congressman who will work for a living?”

Presumptive GOP U.S. Senate nominee Bob Hugin endorsed Pezzullo to be his running mate in CD-6. “I fully endorse Rich’s candidacy and look forward to working with him,” Hugin said. Pezzullo dropped his bid for the U.S. Senate nomination last month in favor of Hugin.

NJ GOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt said, “I look forward to working with Rich to give New Jerseyans the representation they deserve.”

16 Comments on “Pezzullo to challenge Pallone”

With the new guy Hugin at the top of the ‘18 ticket, then this one next ,in that district’s towns, will be tough to direct voters to the Freeholders in the middle, (both new names, county- wide.) Am afraid we are at our most vulnerable in many years. Get ready to give both time and money, to stop the creeping socialism that is today’s democrats, from getting a toe-hold in, and therefore beginning to ruin, the best NJ county. Red flashing lights and warning sirens, if you still care- step up and help!

This cycle is going to be difficult enough- not necessary to keep bashing one of our own. And this guy needs all the help he can get. Putting a name on a ballot to fill the slot gets you around 30% of the vote: against a Pallone, one kills oneself for every vote over that- and the more you can chalk up, the better chance those down- ballot might have. With four new names on this year’s ballot in that district, we need all the help we can get!!

piece of legislation from Pallone that has made any taxpayers’ lives better. When in the NJ state senate, he named a post office, and towed the lib environmental groups’ lines- while never doing anything positive to fix the ocean he personally “ vacuumed.” There are several, mostly Dem candidates over the years, who will walk a beach for campaign fliers, during their election years, then basically go away with little changes. In Frank’s case, he has gotten more left- wing and more out of touch with taxpayers, over his cushy, way too- long tenure in Congress. The last re- districting just for him was an abortion.( which he now supports, by the way, but was pro- life, back in the 80’s.)
If not for big unions and special interest monies pouring in,plus the easy demographics he perpetually enjoys, he’d never have been able to survive this long. He is a walking billboard for term limits, if I ever saw one! Enough! Retire! Then, we’ll have 10 or more “ brave” new candidates, now ready to run for that seat!!

Monmouth Girl, you don’t have to live in a district in order to represent that district in the House of Representatives. You just have to live in the same state.

That said, and in reality, you don’t even have to live in the same state. Chris Smith rents a room somewhere in the 4th Congressional District of NJ. He is rarely ever there but claims that room as his legal residence. Chris Smith owns a home in Virginia and has lived there for many years with his family.

Has Chris Smith gone from renting a room in NJ and instead purchased a home in NJ? That’s news to me. Thanks for disabusing me, Art. That said, if Chris Smith lives in New Jersey, that would certainly be news to his neighbors. God knows they rarely see him here in New Jersey. Please see:

Congressman Smith and/or his family have, in the past, claimed Virginia residency when doing so saved the Congressman a lot of money. Case in point: Smith’s daughter attended a university that charged Virginia residents $20,000 a year less than it charged out-of-state residents. Please see:

Pallone made his mark as a state senator by stealing other legislators’ issues, to the point where he even pissed off other Democrats, let alone Republicans.
His focus on the ocean? He simply jumped on a bandwagon already long established by the Republican representatives in the district, Doc Villane, Bill Dowd, Joe Palaia, and Pallone’s predecessor in the senate, Brian Kennedy.
A former Republican (Pallone’s father was a longtime Long Branch GOP stalwart), the then-pro-life Pallone was considered a conservative Democrat while state senator. When he was elected to Congress, many Republicans saw him as a consolation prize: We didn’t elect Joe Azzolina, but at least the seat would be moved somewhat to the right as compared to Pallone’s predecessor, Jim Howard. Within months, those hopes were dashed as Pallone took a hard left and followed national Democrat orthodoxy.

anyone’s child over 18 establish residency in their college’s state in order to get more favorable in- state tuition?? Thousands have, and a congressman’s child has every right to do the same. Along with the alarming statistics of the flight of taxpayers from NJ, research how few of their kids stay in- state for colleges: yet another poorly- managed aspect of life in Blue Jersey! All three of mine had gotten academic scholarships, but even if not, our NJ Alma maters did nothing special for us to keep our kids here. Pretty sad and short- sighted, if you ask me, and, many like them never come back here, after graduating! Who can blame them?..Stop ragging on Smith- he has done nothing more than any others elected to serve in the swamp do, and is doing a decent and credible job.